Senior cop 'dumps' traffic ticket issued by constable

A senior police officer in western Jamaica is under fire for allegedly dumping a traffic ticket issued to a motorist by a constable, then reprimanding the young cop in the presence of the civilian.

According to the constable, the incident happened inside the commander's office on March 25, a day after he prosecuted the motorist for not having a valid certificate of fitness for the vehicle that he was driving.

The constable said that the senior cop assured him that he was not on trial, before asking him which legislation gave him the authority to write the ticket. The constable said that he cited Section 10.1 of the Road Traffic Act, before explaining to his senior that the driver had committed an offence.

He said that the senior officer invited the driver and the owner of the vehicle to join the meeting and asked the motorist to give his version of the events.

"Halfway through his account ... the commander asked him to stop and said, in the presence of everyone in the meeting, that clearly I was wrong to issue such a ticket, and if both men were to contest the ticket in court, the Jamaica Constabulary Force would be embarrassed," the constable alleged in a report that he wrote to his immediate supervisor.

In the report obtained by The Gleaner, the constable claimed that after apologising to the motorist, the commander asked him (the constable) for a copy of the ticket and directed that he turn over the copies in his ticket book. "I then observed the commander handing all four copies to [another police officer] stating he should take care of them."

The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file cops, said that it was aware of the allegations by the constable, and will definitely be taking the matter further".